90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? star Patrick Mendes is revealing details about his painful injury during his season 8 debut. Patrick is a 33-year-old from Las Vegas married to the 26-year-old Thaís from Montes Claros, Brazil. Patrick was half-Brazilian and had planned a trip to Thaís’ hometown to visit his dad four years ago. Patrick met Thaís through an app. Patrick was looking for someone to teach him Portuguese. He was hoping for Thaís to be “real.” Patrick screamed when he saw Thaís, who, according to him, was the hottest girl he had ever seen in his life.
Patrick kept booking multiple trips to Brazil and proposed to Thaís eleven months later. Patrick and Thaís faced challenges with Patrick’s brother, John McManus, living with them. For Patrick, the biggest challenge they had was her dad. Thaís had not told her dad she was coming to the U.S. to get married. Thaís had told her dad she was there on vacation. Things didn’t go well between Patrick and Thaís’ dad, Carlos, when he asked for Thaís’ hand in marriage. However, Patrick had a lot of belief in their relationship and knew he was the only one for him.
Patrick spoke about his background in the sport of weightlifting during his 90 Day Fiancé debut. Patrick revealed he had begun competing in sports when he was nine years old. However, he discovered a passion for weightlifting when he reached high school. Patrick discovered he was really good at being stronger than “everyone else.” Patrick made the U.S. national team and competed at the Pan Am Games in Mexico and the World Championships in Paris, France. Patrick started training for the Olympics. He was the super-heavyweight USA national champion in 2011 and 2012 despite having a back injury. However, he suffered a professional setback in 2012.
Patrick was suspended for two years by the US Anti-Doping Agency for taking human growth hormones. Patrick’s own mistake ruined his career because it was a performance-enhancing drug that was banned in the field of all sports. However, Patrick decided to make a comeback after his two-year ban. Unfortunately, Patrick tested positive again this time, but for dimethyl testosterone, a different legal substance, at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Patrick spoke about his suspension during 90 Day Fiancé season 9.
During their first scene in 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? season 8, Thaís walked up to Patrick while he was playing with their six-month-old daughter Aleesi. Thaís asked Patrick to slow down.
Patrick insisted he was just working out and joked that Aleesi had to start training because she’d turned six months old. While Patrick spoke about moving from Dallas, Texas to Las Vegas, and how much they liked it there, Thaís taunted him by saying he ruined everything with his knee.
Patrick assured Thaís that the doctor said his knee was looking good now. He was not able to bend it yet but was able to lift his leg up and down while wincing with pain. Patrick was playing flag football when there was a “play” which felt like a “hammer” had hit him in the knee. Surgery was the only way Patrick’s knee could be fixed. Thaís confessed that Patrick getting hurt made her feel angry because she had a feeling he was going to get hurt from playing flag football. Patrick yelled that he used to be a competitive weightlifter.
He thought being a former professional sportsman meant he couldn’t get hurt from playing flag football. Thaís used to tell Patrick to be careful every Sunday when he went to play the game. Thaís didn’t think it was a good idea, especially since she and Patrick were supposed to fly to Brazil soon with Aleesi to meet Thaís’ family.
The worst part of Patrick needing knee surgery was that they had a huge trip to Brazil coming. It was the first time in two years that Thaís and Patrick were going to Brazil since they got married. Thaís had gotten pregnant the same week she married Patrick. The couple’s Brazil adventures will be documented in 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Thaís’ family is hosting a big party for Aleesi, but Patrick’s biggest concern is to talk to Carlos and have “some type of relationship” with him while they deal with John, who’s coming along.
Source: Patrick Mendes/Instagram